After Dark Mode, WhatsApp Introduces New Security Feature in Beta

After the much anticipated Dark Mode feature introduced in the recent iOS beta, previously available in Android Beta as well, the Facebook-owned messaging platform, WhatsApp, now focuses on a new security feature. The messaging platform, which recently hit 2 Billion active users worldwide, had introduced a new security feature in the latest Android beta build.

Folks at WABetaInfo had reported this new security feature, which would allow messaging platform users to protect their chat backups with a password. WhatsApp already protects users chats with end-to-end encryption, nonetheless, this new password protection adds an extra layer of security, that allows users to set a password to encrypt their backups. This is kind of identical to what Apple does with iPhone users, who back up their phones on PC or Mac via iTunes. In which, the backups are only encrypted if users tend to opt for a password option.

Well, here the report suggests that this new feature is called ‘Protect Backup’, which is still not available on the public beta and this feature is also said to be still in alpha stage. And, users who have signed up for beta version on Google Play Store Beta Program will have to wait a little longer to see the new update. As for the new security feature is concerned, WhatsApp will allow users to have a password for the backup that is usually stored on the users’ Google Drive storage.

The report also hints that neither the messaging platform nor Google would now be able to look at the backup without entering the password, which the user has set. Well, this is positively an ingenious security feature, provided you need to add a new password to your cerebrum to remember alongside the plethora of passwords that are already stored. Unless, you have opted for services-like LastPass or One-Password, for that matter. Also, users need to be aware, just in case, if you forget the password, your chat backups would assuredly go for a toss.

Despite being a beneficial security feature, the availability of it to the users, at least for the beta testers, is yet to be known. Also, the new update bears a version number, which is 2.20.66. As mentioned, beta testers need to be patient to try out this new security feature, which is still in Alpha stage.

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